


what's important

by DasIchigo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:54:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29326581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DasIchigo/pseuds/DasIchigo
Summary: A quick supply run reveals some shocking hints towards Doflamingo to the Heart Pirates. A chance Law definitely can't let slip through his fingers. Agreeing on sending Shachi to infiltrate a bunch of underground criminals with a suspicious connection to “Joker”, Law grows tense. Things get heated and the Hearts find themselves in something bigger than they had expected.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue: Hints

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my first multi chapter fic!  
> This story mainly focuses on Law, Shachi and some additional appearances of the other Heart Pirates.
> 
> I will be adding more tags as time goes on but the current ones are things you can expect from this work for sure.
> 
> I have already worked out a rough storyline and ideas and depending on how things go you can expect around 10 or more chapters, this first one being a prologue.  
> I want to finish a couple more chapters before I post more in case I want to change some ideas but stay tuned!
> 
> (The title may change. It is... a work in progress. I am uncreative.)
> 
> With that, enjoy yourselves! I am open for feedback!

The atmosphere in the bar Shachi found himself in was lively and provocative. A strong scent of alcohol lingered in the air despite the clock barely hitting five in the afternoon. Men and women alike were talking and flirting wildly already. Shachi wrinkled his nose at the cigarette scent invaded his senses.

For once, he wasn't here to enjoy himself as he would usually like to. Hitting on beautiful women in light clothing looking for some fun for the night and drinking until the colourful lights started blurring in his vision.

Shachi had much more important matters at hands this time around. He clutched the newspaper in his hands a little tighter. Scanning his surroundings as good as he could while hiding his face carefully under the brim of his hat, Shachi frowned.

It was hard to make out any conversations in this place. Laughter and music almost too loud, but it was just enough if he focused his haki and concentration. There was small group of people, three men and a woman sitting two tables away from him, talking with low voices.

He had seen two of the men's faces before. Earlier this afternoon on some wanted poster before he brought some bags back to the Polar Tang and quickly headed back into the town. Maybe he should have told Law about his plans that time around but with the newspaper securely stowed away in the pocket of his green hoodie, he was too much in a hurry to think of that.

Shachi kept quiet, not wanting to be noticed by the group. He had spotted them outside, remembered their faces from the bounty posters and shadowed them since. Admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure why he did it. It was a feeling, you could say. There was no certain connection between the criminals on the wanted posters and Doflamingo's sudden influence on this irrelevant island, but Shachi looked for one regardless.

It was hard to understand the conversation between the group but what Shachi could catch from it, peaked his interest. The mention of a man called 'Joker' was what left his breath got caught on his throat.

“This isn't good,” Shachi thought to himself. Worry and excitement equally bubbling up in his gut. Leaving him tingling all over. Not only did Doflamingo take this island under his supervision, as the newspaper had told him, but his secret identity as 'Joker' held connections to the underground society of this place as well. It was more than just suspicious and Shachi was well aware of the danger this could provide for the crew. And it was exactly why he had to learn more about this.

Soundlessly, Shachi got up. Aiming to get closer to the group by pretending to offer his company to a pretty blonde woman on a couch nearby. She smelled of alcohol and drugs and was already completely filled up. Draping herself across his lap. If this was any other time, Shachi would have grinned, whispered sweet words in her ears and moving his hands leisurely along her curves.

Instead, he tensed, ignoring he lulled words and focusing on the conversation he was trying to spy on instead. Luckily, they hadn't noticed his actual motive and all the reaction he got was a knowing smirk from one of the men, seemingly approving of his 'catch'. Shachi offered him a thumbs up, moving his hand to the girls back.

He didn't feel comfortable with having been noticed but he wasn't too worried about being suspected of spying on them. The poor girl being his perfect alibi. 

As the conversation went on, Shachi listened, holding his breath nervously.

“The last scientist they got was a failure too.”

“Really? I thought they found someone good this time.”

“No. Joker wasn't pleased, I heard he killed the entirety of the second set.”

“We're in a lot of trouble if we don't deliver this time around, you know?”

“Yeah, no shit. Any ideas?”

Shachi released a slow breath as the groups exchange came to a tense halt, giving him a moment to think. 'Joker' was definitely Doflamingo, Shachi had no doubts about hat. The rest, however, left him worried. He had no idea who they were talking about and why they were apparently looking for a scientist of all things but he suspected it was something important to Doflamingo. That had to be why he apparently killed another group who couldn't deliver and why he acclaimed supervision of this islands.

“I might have some clues, actually,” the woman who had been quietly listening to the three men finally spoke up. “But we shouldn't talk about this here. To many people who could be listening in.”

Shachi could have sworn he felt the woman's gaze on him. Heart racing, he pretended to keep his attention on the girl in his lap by pressing a kiss against the side of her neck. She tasted of too much perfume below the sharp scent of smoke. He grimaced at the sensation, noticing how much easier it was to ignore these things when he was drunk.

The group agreed with her, leaving their drinks on the table without paying and making their way towards the door.

He waited. Fifteen seconds, twenty seconds. Shachi jumped up, pushing the girl off his lap without much gentleness and ignored her noise of protest, making a mad dash for the door instead, almost tripping on his way.

It was already growing dark and the air outside was much colder than inside the bar. Shachi shivered a little at the change in temperature and hastily looked where the group had gone. Footsteps echoed to his right around a corner and Shachi moved with careful steps.

This was a dangerous game he was playing right now. One wrong move and he could be in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, Shachi was rather confident in his spying abilities. His speed and skills with observational haki and hiding his presence greatly acting in his favour.

He followed them around the corner, keeping a save distance and focusing mainly on hiding himself. He could afford to lose their tracks and report back to Law with the information he gathered, but he definitely couldn't afford being seen or even captured. While Shachi was fast, he wasn't sure how strong his opponents were and he rather no find out this time around.  
Shachi shadowed them for about ten minutes without a word being spoken but rather suspicious glances being thrown back more and more frequently. The blood in veins ran cold at every turn and corner but he managed to keep his cool. While spying was one of his specialities, this was different, more important and potentially dangerous than his usual pursues.

After about thirteen minutes, the group came to a stop where the alley opened up a little. It was hard to understand what they were talking but Shachi caught a few words about 'meeting again later', 'hideout' and a time he couldn't understand properly. 

The group parted in different direction and Shachi waited for another moment behind the closed railing of the balcony he was currently hiding on. He let out a slow breath before jumping down and towards the spot the criminals departed from just moments ago. He listened.

Four pairs of footsteps, if he guessed correctly, walking into two different directions. Shachi closed his eyes for a moment in relieve of not having been noticed or ambushed from around the corner when he came down from his hiding spot to investigate the area.

Frowning, the ginger studied the alleyway. It was almost completely dark by now, the sun having set faster than he expected it too but the cold weather on this island should have already told him as much earlier. Shachi looked around carefully but couldn't spot anything of interest. In the end, his pursue didn't bring him anywhere closer to getting more information on Doflamingo and he knew he shouldn't make another move before consulting with his captain. His current actions already edging too close to disobeying his orders of laying low as always.

Weighting his options, Shachi turned around. He didn't get what he wanted from this mission but that didn't mean he was done. Picking up his pace, he sprinted back to the bar he came from, passing the distance it just over five minutes.

Unsurprisingly, nothing had changed here, and Shachi rubbed his hand across his arms for warmth. He preferred colder over warm temperatures any day but hat didn't mean he enjoyed being freezing cold.

Shachi pushed the door to the bar back open, the strong scents made stepping through it feel like running into a brick wall and he wrinkled his nose. There was still a chance of someone here knowing the group who could give him information. Especially on the two men from the wanted posters outside.

Not having to think about his options too much, Shachi pushed his way further inside and towards the bar counter where a man in a suit was polishing a wine glass. “Hello, there is something I would like to ask you, if you have a moment,” he spoke, choosing his words carefully while trying to not raise too much suspicion. 

“You are that guy who ran after those criminals earlier, aren't you?” the man raised an eyebrow at Shachi. He internally cringed at not having been more careful when he left.

“Uh yeah, I guess so,” he tried keeping his voice low. “Can you tell me something about them? You said they were criminals and I saw their faces on some wanted posters outside.”

The man kept quiet for a moment before setting his glass down. “More or less. They have supposedly been involved in some abductions and murders around town, at leats that is what I heard,” he looked Shachi in the eyes despite his shades and Shachi kept the contact, looking back at him with a frown. His experience told him that there was more to this.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I was just curious. Is there anything else you know?” Shachi asked, pushing a few coins he gathered from his pocket across the counter. The man raised his eyebrow again, his gaze passing between Shachi and the money.

“They dropped this,” voice but a whisper as he pushed a small piece in into Shachis hand and dropping the money into his own pocket. “You don't know that from me though. Now get out. Good luck with whatever you're planing,” and with that the bartender walked away. Shachi threw him a grin before he left.

Maybe this wasn't all in vain in the end. With a grin still wide on his face, he moved out of the building again and into the cold evening air. The wanted posters of two of the men unsurprisingly still hung on the wall outside the bar. Shachi decided to rip them off, taking them back to the ship with him for good measure.  
He was already late for dinner but Shachi was sure Law would forgive him if he told him about the information he had gathered.


	2. chapter 1: plans

“Shachi. You're late.” Law said without looking up from his food. The room was loud, filled with the pirate crews idle chatter and clicking of cutlery. Despite that, it was still easy to notice the ginger by the way he slammed the door open and burst into the room. The Polar Tangs metallic walls complaining to the treatment with a painfully loud noise. “What took you so lo-”

“I bet he was flirting with some women,” Cliones teasing comment was quickly drowned out by a playful hit to the cooks shoulder by Ikkaku. Giggling accompanied the whole exchange but neither Law nor Shachi paid it any mind.

“You gotta check this out!” Shachi interrupted his captain without a single care. Usually Law wouldn't allow such insubordinance even if they had been close friends for years. Shachi knew that for all the time they had spent together, Law was still their captain and respect was due where it was due. The other man's excitement however left Law curious. He turned his head, watching Shachi sprint towards him. Shachi loudly slapped a local newspaper, a few bounty posters and a little piece of paper on the table. Catching the attention of everyone in the room, the small dining hall went quiet.

Law raised at eyebrow at Shachis intense entrance. He was used to the others flamboyant demeanour but this was a bit much, even for him. The captain eyed his crewmember questioningly for a moment. He was more jittery that usually, almost bouncing up and down on the spot. Shachi urged Law to take a look at the papers he brought. A part of him wanted to dismiss it for now and instead continue eating his dinner before checking out whatever Shachi deemed so important. He really didn't need his dinner ruined.

The intense stares of the rest of the crew and the small group that started building up around them changed his mind.

Law took a sip from his coffee. Black with no milk but some sugar and small shot of rum for his nerves. He set his cup back down on the table, moving it a little further away to make room for the newspaper Shachi had brought him.

To his own surprise, Law almost spit the mouthful of coffee he kept to linger a little longer on the taste back out. His decency pretty much being the only thing holding him back from doing so. Instead, he swallowed hastily, the taste burning sharply in his throat.

The font page of the local newspaper showed the ugly grin of a face he was way too familiar with, Doflamingo almost sneering at him with a smile so wide it should split his face. Law grabbed the newspaper and skimmed the page quickly. “This can't be serious,” his gaze focused onto the text in front of his eyes, reading through it again, soaking the words in.

“Shachi,” he looked back at the ginger. “Where did you get this?” Law pointed at the paper, if unnecessary. It featured an article on a contract made with the king of beasts, Kaido. According to it, the island the Heart Pirates currently made port on was under the Beast Pirates protection, with the Heavenly Demon Doflamingo being their direct contact person. Doflamingo apparently taking the island under his supervision and protection. Law wanted to laugh at the absurdity already.

Instead of giving his captain a proper answer, Shachi reached his hand out and pushed the small piece of paper into his field of vision. “Read this.”

Skimming through the information on the small paper, Law glanced at Shachi again. “Explain,” his voice tense.

“I got my hands on this newspaper when I was getting the supplies on the list you gave so I went to investigate a little,” the ginger finally giving him an answer. “I watched some shady guys walk into a bar. Saw them on some wanted posters earlier,” Shachi pointed at the ones he brought with him. Law glanced at them quickly. “I listened to them for a while talking about 'Joker' and then followed them when they left the bar but I stopped when they parted ways after just about fifteen minutes. The bartender could give me the paper. He said the group were involved with some abductions and murders around the town,” he finished his story taking a deep breath. “Don't think they noticed me following them though.”

Shachi was probably one of their best spies in the crew. He was fast, stealthy and able to hide is presence maybe even as good as Law. Additionally, he had been in town dressed in a normal pair of jeans and a hoodie and thus hiding his connection to a pirate crew well. The captain wasn't surprised that Shachi was the one to deliver him such information, but it was the contents that left his heart beating faster.  
Law could just stare at Shachi as he finished. Whatever was going on on this island was clearly more than it seemed. Law realised this, an unsettling feeling in his gut. Nothing good could come out of any of this with Doflamingo involved. Especially if this wasn't just about Doflamingo himself but also as his secret identity as 'Joker'. Something big had to be going on here, as much was clear.

“Thanks. Good job Shachi. Is there anything else you know?” he asked, taking another sip from his coffee to ease the growing tension and excitement he felt. This could be huge. Law could only imagine how much information those men on the wanted posters could have on Doflamingo and how much that could help him with his plans. Sure, it was risky and it could very well be bait but even if was, Law couldn't let this chance slip through his fingers. He had to investigate further and a plan was already forming in his head.

It took Shachi a moment to answer, thinking. The silence stretched while Law stared at the small piece of paper for a bit longer. He too had been walking throughout the town earlier that day and naturally he tried recalling the rough layout. It could be that his memory was failing for once or there was no place in town that the directions on the paper would lead to. Just to be sure, Law swiftly directed his attention to Bepo, sending him to get the map of the island he had spent the afternoon drawing from the control room.

“Yeah. They mentioned something about a finding a scientist, Joker already having killed another 'set' and having something in mind,” he answered. ”They didn't want to talk about it at the bar and left then. That's when I started following them.”

Law was relieved that Shachi had been rational for once, even if he didn't say it out loud. His friend tended to be on the more reckless side of the spectrum, often getting himself in trouble an coming back to the ship with bruises. Treating his crews injuries was nothing the captain and doctor liked doing, especially if they were caused because someone tried to defend his honour. Usually Law would just let most insults and mockeries directed at him slip past, not wanting to catch the whole marines attention but his crew often felt about that differently. 

Not too long after, Bepo came back with two maps in his paws. One was a colourful tourist guide they got from one of the stores at the beginning of the town. Penguin had spotted it and decided it would help their navigator with drawing a map of the island to mark down all major landmarks. Law honestly hadn't expected for the small brochure the prove itself of any use but he he might just have been wrong about that. The   
second map was the one Bepo had drawn. It showed the whole island in as much detail as he could manage. Most people would call the map messy and unprofessional, but the Hearts had long since learned to read them despite the stains and rips Bepo tended to leave with his claws.

He took his time to study the three maps in front of him, pushing not just his own, but also those of Penguin and Bepo next to him to the sides. Law deliberately decided to ignore their complains. They had enough time to finish their dinner later. 

Looking the maps up and down multiple times, comparing lines with lines and following streets with his fingers, Law tried finding just a hint of the direction on the small paper Shachi was able to provide. He wasn't the best at this, he admitted. He hadn't studied the island during his errands too carefully either. A choice he now regretted.

“Dammit,” Law swore, brow furrowed in concentration.

“Let me take a look?” Penguin asked next to him, invading his personal space and leaning over the map. With Bepo doing the same from his right, Law begrudgingly backed away a little, letting the two take a look instead.

The captain turned his attention back to Shachi. “Do you remember where the men went after you listened to them?”

“Yeah,” Shachi pushed past Bepo to point at an alleyway next to a bar on the brochure. “They talked in this bar, then turned right. I followed them for about three blocks south before they split up and I had to back off. Don't know if they went much farther.”

“In that case I would say the direction on the paper are somewhere at the southern edge of the town, where the slums are,” Penguin threw in, now pointing at Bepos map since no brochure would be stupid enough to mark slums on a list of tourist attractions.

Law continued to glare at the maps and wanted posters for a moment longer. “Okay then, Everyone listen up. I want ten people in pairs of two and dressed in casual clothing investigate different areas of the town during different times starting an hour from now,” Law declared loudly, earning hushed murmurs from the crew. “I will be going with Shachi first. Clione is going with Uni. I want Ikkaku and Penguin out with a den-den-mushi helping Bepo draw a more detailed map here on the ship. Form the remaining groups by yourself, I trust in your judgement to do that enough. A different pair is going to head out every three hours after Shachi and me. Rest and prepare yourselves until then,” he looked is crew over, superiority practically seeping from him. “Dismissed.”

Turning around, Law left the dining hall towards his own room. It would make sense to dress in something that wouldn't feature his jolly roger all over him, practically screaming 'we are pirates and we are looking for something'.

The man Law saw in the mirror in front of him now wore a black button up shirt with chest pockets and a yellow poncho with a hood draped over his shoulders to hide them. It would offer some additional warmth against the colder temperatures on the island. He held a determined look on his face.

Law was very well aware that this could be a trap. He was sure that Doflamingo should have no idea where he was, but there was still a lingering suspicion that the warlord somehow managed to track him down and was now setting up the perfect bait to lure him in. It was a risky move to investigate, Law knew. But this could also lead him onto something big. This was a risk Law had to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the first chapter!
> 
> I would be happy over some feedback!   
> Also, I already got the whole story planned out for each chapter so I just *somehow* have to write it down at this point!

**Author's Note:**

> I want to add a special mention to my friend, Ale, who motivated me to write this idea down in the first place. I hope you enjoy it especially!


End file.
